Use of BIM rises dramatically

A study by McGraw-Hill Construction indicated that architects, engineers, contractors and owners are increasingly embracing Building Information Modeling (BIM) in their building projects. Comparing results from its similar research in 2007 and 2009, McGraw-Hill Construction found that the percentage of companies using BIM jumped from 17% in 2007, to 49% in 2009, to 71% in 2012.

BIM uses digital representations of the physical and functional characteristics of a building, as opposed to blueprints or other types of building plans. The resulting models can then be shared between various stakeholders to facilitate decision-making from the earliest conceptual stages through design and construction.

Other findings from the McGraw-Hill Construction study:

• For the first time ever, more contractors (74%) are using BIM than architects (70%);

• All users report increased business benefits from BIM, including better profits, more accurate documentation, less rework, reduced project duration, fewer claims and the ability to offer new services;

• Almost 40% of BIM users are heavily committed to it, doing more than 60% of their work in BIM. This group has surged by 44% since 2009;

• As a sign of its increasing acceptance and maturity, almost half (49%) of BIM users have five or more years of experience using it.